Textron AirLand's Scorpion prepares for first flight to Europe

Textron AirLand, LLC, a joint venture between Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) and AirLand Enterprises, LLC, has announced that its Scorpion aircraft is progressing on schedule toward a July departure from McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas.

The aircraft´s first flight outside the US is planned to cover about 4,700 nautical miles from Wichita to RAF Fairford-Gloucestershire, 73 miles outside of London. Scorpion will participate in The Royal International Air Tattoo from July 11 to 13, immediately followed by Farnborough International Air Show from July 14 to 20.

The most recent test flights in May-June have gone smoothly, evaluating the aircraft´s performance at speeds up to 455 KTAS. During a typical test flight, Scorpion´s two test pilots execute a planned set of aerial maneuvers and system checks, as the data is automatically gathered and transmitted to the engineering team for analysis. The latest tests have included:

Textron is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. More information is available at www.textron.com.